Aryna Sabalenka Draws Apology After On-Air Remark During WTA Finals Coverage

Aryna Sabalenka’s opening match at the WTA Finals was overshadowed by an off-court controversy after a broadcaster was heard making a disparaging comment about her during live coverage. The remark, captured while a promotional video was playing during an advertising break, was later circulated widely online. French journalist Matthieu Solier was reportedly heard saying, “Look, look, look, she’s horrible.” An account on X shared the clip, which reportedly attracted more than 100,000 views, and flagged it to France’s broadcasting regulator, Arcom. Solier has worked for beIN SPORTS since 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile. The article said it was not yet clear whether he would face any further action. Florent Houzot, beIN SPORTS’ director of broadcast operations for programming and editorial, responded with a statement condemning the comments. He said he regretted what had been said on air and stressed that the remarks did not represent the broadcaster’s values. Houzot added that the channel was committed to treating athletes and other contributors with respect. The report also recalled a separate disciplinary case at the broadcaster earlier in the year. Houzot suspended commentator Daniel Bravo for just under a month after remarks about Gaëtane Thiney, the sporting director of Paris FC Féminines. Houzot told AFP that Bravo understood the decision, regretted his words and had called Thiney to apologise. That incident involved a different commentator and was not presented as a decision about Solier. On court, Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova 7-6 (7-2), 7-5. Speaking afterwards, she described Muchova as an outstanding player and said the match was always difficult. Sabalenka said she had focused on staying calm and taking each point as it came, adding that she was pleased to begin the tournament with a win. In a separate interview with Sky Sports, Sabalenka again praised Muchova’s intelligence and said the contest demanded concentration and smart play. The tennis champion did not comment in the report on the broadcast controversy.